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Proteas maintain perfect record as men's team edge Zimbabwe

netball11 December 2024 14:00
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South Africa’s teams continued with their dominance on Day 2 of the Africa Netball Cup, with both the men's and women's sides securing victories on Tuesday night at the MTC Dome in Swakopmund, Namibia.

The SPAR Proteas extended their dominance over Malawi with an impressive 65-35 victory.

This marks the fourth win against Malawi this year, following the Proteas’ recent 3-0 sweep in the SPAR Challenge International test Series.

The Proteas established an early lead of 14-9 in the first quarter, showcasing their strong start.

They continued to pull away in the second quarter, going into the halftime break with a healthy lead of 33-17, displaying their superior skill and game plan.

The Proteas maintained their dominance in the third quarter, extending their lead to 51-27 and sealing a comfortable win.

This showcased their overall strength and depth.

Proteas Coach Jenny Van Dyk commended her team’s performance, but acknowledged the significant improvement displayed by the Malawian national team. 

“I’m pleased with how the team performed against Malawi,” she said. “This is the best Malawi has played. They brought an excellent game with a lot of speed and I think the players reacted well.

“Well done to Malawi. I can see a great improvement after our test series against them. We were consistent throughout four quarters and I’m happy with the performance.”

SA MEN FIGHT HARD FOR ZIM WIN

Meanwhile, the South African men's team was pushed to their limits but managed to secure a hard-fought 41-39 victory over Zimbabwe.

This extended their winning streak against the opposition to four wins in 2024. The win was also SA’s third at the Africa Netball Cup.

Coach Jabulani Vilane’s men started the Zim encounter on the front foot, winning the first quarter 15-11.

In the second quarter, SA continued to build on their lead, trying to showcase their control. At halftime, they led 25-20.

The game tightened in the third quarter, with Zimbabwe mounting a strong challenge. With the scores at 35-30, SA held on for a narrow win.

Vilane admitted that the Zimbabwe game was challenging but praised the boys' fighting spirit, highlighting their two-goal victory.

“Yesterday’s game was not as easy as the one we played during the test series at the curtain-raiser. Zimbabwe came prepared for us,” said Vilane.

“They knew how to eliminate our players, and they were physical and emotional. So, we had to keep ourselves intact and figure out ways to keep up with every quarter.

“However, in the third quarter, we drew with them, and we lost the last quarter, but what we tried to rectify in training was a success. We still need to have time to work our mindset though, because we still have two tough games or three that we need to play. But other than that, the boys fought well because we won by a two-goal difference.”

On Wednesday, Day 3, the men's team will face Zambia and Eswatini. 

They will aim to extend their winning streak and defend their title.

The SPAR Proteas will only return to action on Thursday at 2pm against Zambia, when they seek to secure a place in the semifinals.

TUESDAY, 10 DECEMBER – SOUTH AFRICA RESULTS:

South Africa v Malawi (Women)

Q1: 14-9

Q2: 33-17

Q3: 51-27

Q4: 65-35

South Africa v Zimbabwe (Men)

Q1: 15-11

Q2: 25-20

Q3: 35-30

Q4: 41-39

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